Fritschi Tecton

My (first gen I think) Tecton's sustained some sort of heel piece failure. I can only get into them wearing boots as the heel piece requires so much force to engage it. It is not possible to insert the boot into the binding on the bench. This means the heel doesn't release either, found that out the hard way. I have no idea how this happened.

My shop (Cripple Creek) will not touch them and told me to reach out to BD. They are out of warranty, so BD gave me a 40% off voucher and that was it.

Has this happened to anyone else? Is there way to source a heel piece? I am of course happy to buy it. The rest of the binding works fine so I don't really want to buy a whole new setup.

I picked up a pair of older Vipecs for cheap as a backup, any idea if the hole pattern is the same?

try skimo.com for parts

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Originally Posted by werner

My (first gen I think) Tecton's sustained some sort of heel piece failure. I can only get into them wearing boots as the heel piece requires so much force to engage it. It is not possible to insert the boot into the binding on the bench. This means the heel doesn't release either, found that out the hard way. I have no idea how this happened.

My shop (Cripple Creek) will not touch them and told me to reach out to BD. They are out of warranty, so BD gave me a 40% off voucher and that was it.

Has this happened to anyone else? Is there way to source a heel piece? I am of course happy to buy it. The rest of the binding works fine so I don't really want to buy a whole new setup.

I picked up a pair of older Vipecs for cheap as a backup, any idea if the hole pattern is the same?

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Hole pattern should be the same. There can be issues when pressure is left on the heel during off season. Meaning its engaged in ski mode. 40% is not bad but I get your frustration.


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yeah that sounds good for a product out of warranty

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Originally Posted by werner

I picked up a pair of older Vipecs for cheap as a backup, any idea if the hole pattern is the same?

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You can just slide the tecton heel off of the mounting plate and slide the vipec heel on. Super easy swap. Toes are essentially the same depending on how old, but that's a solid backup plan if you can't find tecton heel.

Sweet, thanks for the info.

PSA: deals on Tectons and Vipecs

https://www.sail.ca/en/outdoor-gear/...uring/bindings

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Originally Posted by johnnyg82

PSA: deals on Tectons and Vipecs

https://www.sail.ca/en/outdoor-gear/...uring/bindings

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Good deal on MTNs as well but no shipping to the USA

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Originally Posted by soul_skier

Good deal on MTNs as well but no shipping to the USA

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Ah, wasn’t sure.

But maybe https://www.canadianaddress.ca can help?

I'm on the way to Whistler if anyone wants to send them to me and pick them up later.

Folks still feel generally happy skiing these inbounds and lugging them uphill? Consolidating skis and thought I’d toss a pair on powder skis but don’t want it to end up being so much of a sacrifice either direction that I end up just using the skinnier skis with tech binders or alpine bindings.

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Originally Posted by GoSlowGoFar

Folks still feel generally happy skiing these inbounds and lugging them uphill? Consolidating skis and thought I’d toss a pair on powder skis but don’t want it to end up being so much of a sacrifice either direction that I end up just using the skinnier skis with tech binders or alpine bindings.

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yeah I mean, it all depends on what you're willing to sacrifice. tectons are more than twice as heavy as my standard tech bindings, but they tour exceptionally well and they're easy to use (much more so than shifts or Duke PTs or CASTs IMO), and they're considerably lighter than those options, too. they ski really well; certainly well enough for soft snow, but again, they're just a hair less damp/elastic than their heavier counterparts.

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Originally Posted by tgapp

yeah I mean, it all depends on what you're willing to sacrifice. tectons are more than twice as heavy as my standard tech bindings, but they tour exceptionally well and they're easy to use (much more so than shifts or Duke PTs or CASTs IMO), and they're considerably lighter than those options, too. they ski really well; certainly well enough for soft snow, but again, they're just a hair less damp/elastic than their heavier counterparts.

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Thanks for the input man. I have a lightweight ~110ish setup for bigger days and a Deathwish for my resort daily driver. So this would likely be reserved for low angle yo-yo laps in the bc, deep days at the resort, and or side-country stuff.

Main concerns are just durability and safety inbounds. I’m not hucking big cliffs and I typically reel it in a bit if things are getting tracked out which leads me to think they’re fine - but coming from a “never use tech binders inbounds mentality” it’s just taking some convincing.

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Originally Posted by GoSlowGoFar

Thanks for the input man. I have a lightweight ~110ish setup for bigger days and a Deathwish for my resort daily driver. So this would likely be reserved for low angle yo-yo laps in the bc, deep days at the resort, and or side-country stuff.

Main concerns are just durability and safety inbounds. I’m not hucking big cliffs and I typically reel it in a bit if things are getting tracked out which leads me to think they’re fine - but coming from a “never use tech binders inbounds mentality” it’s just taking some convincing.

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Personally, the Tectons weren't as solid or as reliable as Kingpins. I had a few pre releases on 10-20ft cliffs (may have been my fault for not cleaning the boot/binding thoroughly) and also ended up with a bit of play in both toes which was a bit disconcerting on any snow that wasn't soft.

Not sure if I had a bad pair but they barely saw any firm snow or inbounds abuse compared to my kingpins which have been rock solid.

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Originally Posted by FullStop

Personally, the Tectons weren't as solid or as reliable as Kingpins. I had a few pre releases on 10-20ft cliffs (may have been my fault for not cleaning the boot/binding thoroughly) and also ended up with a bit of play in both toes which was a bit disconcerting on any snow that wasn't soft.

Not sure if I had a bad pair but they barely saw any firm snow or inbounds abuse compared to my kingpins which have been rock solid.

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Well that’s anecdotal. There’s an entire thread on this forum that demonstrates otherwise.

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Originally Posted by GoSlowGoFar

Thanks for the input man. I have a lightweight ~110ish setup for bigger days and a Deathwish for my resort daily driver. So this would likely be reserved for low angle yo-yo laps in the bc, deep days at the resort, and or side-country stuff.

Main concerns are just durability and safety inbounds. I’m not hucking big cliffs and I typically reel it in a bit if things are getting tracked out which leads me to think they’re fine - but coming from a “never use tech binders inbounds mentality” it’s just taking some convincing.

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Yeah I suppose it's always important to know who you are getting advice from online. Me: 160lbs, conservative skier, tours a ton. Minimal cliff hucking, none in tectons.

What makes tectons safer than standard tech toes for inbounds use is the fact that they offer lateral release from the toe. This is a meaningful safety advantage that offers them feature parity with resort binders. Kingpins do not have this feature, nor do ATK FR14s, Dynafit Rotations, etc.

What makes tectons "worse" than, say, pivots is that they do not offer as much elasticity in toe nor heel travel, although they offer much more than most other tech bindings.



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Can’t tell the difference between STH and Tectons skiing. My skis rarely leave the ground. If you want to huck your meat a lot they aren’t going to hold up as well. They weren’t designed for that. They were designed to be the safest tech binding. The elasticity is really not noticeable to me


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Kingpin has a modified Squire heel (for horizontal release), DukePT 12 has regular Squire heel. DukePt has a burly Griffon toe. Weight when climbing can't be much different.

Seems like Tecton is an 80/20 binding, and DukePT is a 30/70. Lacking a horizontal release toe, Kingpin will probably fade into obscurity.

Appreciate the input all, it really seems like I could go either way. The reliability and release of the Duke PT alpine toe is appealing but that’s definitely a big weight penalty and seems like a bit of a pita for transitions.

This may be a dumb question but can you ski in the tech toe of the Duke PT? Effectively making it a “kingpin”. Can’t find information warning against this or advocating for it, which leads me to think that’s a no go.

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Originally Posted by GoSlowGoFar

Appreciate the input all, it really seems like I could go either way. The reliability and release of the Duke PT alpine toe is appealing but that’s definitely a big weight penalty and seems like a bit of a pita for transitions.

This may be a dumb question but can you ski in the tech toe of the Duke PT? Effectively making it a “kingpin”. Can’t find information warning against this or advocating for it, which leads me to think that’s a no go.

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that's definitely a no go

just get tectons, for your use case they are great. and they have just as safe of release as the Duke PTs

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I’ll echo what tgapp and unicorn have said. I like my Tectons a lot for exactly what you want them for. I put them on a pair of Lhasa Pows and I’ll ski them inbounds on powder days and sometimes when I feel like skiing big skis in the Backcountry. They’re just slightly slower to put on when you get out of the tram for example. Action photo:
Attachment 478043

Agree just get the Tectons. I have them on three setups. They’re great and not made by Marker… I’ll let that speak for itself.


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Alright alright…but it’s on you all’s dime if I regret my decision.

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Originally Posted by TahoeJ

Well that’s anecdotal. There’s an entire thread on this forum that demonstrates otherwise.

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Hence the disclaimers. It's just a data point. I do ski hard, jump off stuff, and try to avoid tech bindings inbounds.

Fritschi is claiming just 50g difference between the tecton and vipec now. Is this actually true? Is the vipec basically obsolete?

not obsolete imho - I actually prefer them to Tectons due to their delta (Tecton heels are too low). I still run Vipecs on three setups whereas I sold all my Tectons.

Vipecs they are still hhave better bindings for most folks than say Dynafit Rotations or G3 Ions - especially if you use them inbounds.

Then again - I could just shim the Tecton heels a couple of mm and never look back as Tectons do make more sense than Vipecs at this weight. It is a freaking great binding.

Fritschi should have continued developing the original pre-evo vipec. I like the OG toe so much more. It's simpler and has the potential to be lighter.

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Originally Posted by mr_pretzel

Fritschi is claiming just 50g difference between the tecton and vipec now. Is this actually true? Is the vipec basically obsolete?

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Tecton's don't work with every boot

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Originally Posted by f=ma

Tecton's don't work with every boot

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Also I do like that ability to step down on the Vipec heel to go from ski to walk. Agreed though that the weight difference is small enough for most to just buy Tecton and go Xenic if you want light

Can you release laterally from the toe without the boot being clipped in the back(obviously not forward when you hit the bumper)? I tried today and I had no chance

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Originally Posted by mr_pretzel

Can you release laterally from the toe without the boot being clipped in the back(obviously not forward when you hit the bumper)? I tried today and I had no chance

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It should release regardless of heel status. If the lever is in walk the retention is supposed to increase, but not completely lock out. This was touted as a safety benefit while skinning in avalanche conditions when the vipec was first released.

I have had it release when not in walk mode, but never in walk mode so can't personally say for sure how much force is required but I imagine it's significant, probably something you aren't going to recreate easily.

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Originally Posted by Going Coastal

It should release regardless of heel status. If the lever is in walk the retention is supposed to increase, but not completely lock out. This was touted as a safety benefit while skinning in avalanche conditions when the vipec was first released.

I have had it release when not in walk mode, but never in walk mode so can't personally say for sure how much force is required but I imagine it's significant, probably something you aren't going to recreate easily.

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Walk supposedly increases the retention 30%. Unless someone can prove me wrong here I actually think this is a serious flaw/a reason why front release with pins doesn’t actually work that well.

If you’re not leveraging from the heel you cant get the pins to open without a shit ton of force. I can kick my boot out when the heels in, but not when it’s not connected to the heel.
This situation can’t happen in a normal alpine binding since you always release from the toe if you release from the heel. Here you are banking on hitting the bumper to safely release.

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Originally Posted by mr_pretzel

Walk supposedly increases the retention 30%. Unless someone can prove me wrong here I actually think this is a serious flaw/a reason why front release with pins doesn’t actually work that well.

If you’re not leveraging from the heel you cant get the pins to open without a shit ton of force. I can kick my boot out when the heels in, but not when it’s not connected to the heel.
This situation can’t happen in a normal alpine binding since you always release from the toe if you release from the heel. Here you are banking on hitting the bumper to safely release.

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Tecton/ vipec give you options. Personally I don’t want them to come off at the toe when I click into walk. There’s the option to adjust release at the toe. Theres the option to unlock the toe if you wanna tip toe through avy terrain.
They have elasticity at the toe that low tech bindings lack so they ski great. The bumper for a forward fall is another release option not found on most low tech pins. They seem to be a great product.

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Originally Posted by mr_pretzel

Walk supposedly increases the retention 30%. Unless someone can prove me wrong here I actually think this is a serious flaw/a reason why front release with pins doesn’t actually work that well.

If you’re not leveraging from the heel you cant get the pins to open without a shit ton of force. I can kick my boot out when the heels in, but not when it’s not connected to the heel.
This situation can’t happen in a normal alpine binding since you always release from the toe if you release from the heel. Here you are banking on hitting the bumper to safely release.

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Yeah, I see what you're saying. Without the leverage of the heel driving the lateral force into the pins it does limit how well you can apply the needed force for a release. I did accidentally go tele mode mid slope on some vipecs once and i was happy it didnt release easily, but I have had them release during normal skiing when expected so I have no concerns with them.

Just thinking though, the Tecton heels also have the ridges that marry into the tech fitting, and maybe that provides the heel leverage needed for the toes to release predictably, so there is probably some validity to the observation.

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Originally Posted by mr_pretzel

Walk supposedly increases the retention 30%. Unless someone can prove me wrong here I actually think this is a serious flaw/a reason why front release with pins doesn’t actually work that well.

If you’re not leveraging from the heel you cant get the pins to open without a shit ton of force. I can kick my boot out when the heels in, but not when it’s not connected to the heel.
This situation can’t happen in a normal alpine binding since you always release from the toe if you release from the heel. Here you are banking on hitting the bumper to safely release.

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wouldn't the alternative be a tech toe that is locked for the up - aka something that is specifically designed never to release?

The release in walk mode feature is as mentioned above meant to save your ass if caught in an avalance (aka the prevent you being buried with skis locked to your feet), not to prevent injury (though they would prob do that too compared to if you get hit on the up with locked toes and then tumble your way down the hill with skis aka levers locked onto your feet).

And sure, while one can question that the release value remains the same as the inserts or pins are worn (like all tech bindings), the system still works great imho and has a noticably smoother ride feel than a traditional tech toe.

All I’m saying is there are situations where you can end up in telemode in ski mode, not releasing by the bumper and being stuck. Maybe not as much as a pinnacle of safety as they claim.

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Originally Posted by mr_pretzel

All I’m saying is there are situations where you can end up in telemode in ski mode, not releasing by the bumper and being stuck. Maybe not as much as a pinnacle of safety as they claim.

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The tele part is true. It's why I practice skiing backseat, lol.

Huh...I should probably revisit my Tectons, as both toe bumpers have fallen off...lol

Just a few data points for the collective:

The 6.4mm shim gives about a 1.6mm delta using skimo.co reference points. I didn’t read closely enough and didn’t realize that the tecton is lower in the heel than the vipec, so these have less ramp than my pivots, jester pros, and just a smidge less than the alpinist. I think I will swap with the 4.7 mm after my ski trip to lower it down to the pivot/jester ramp I enjoy. In the meantime, I will ski with this and try a little more forward lean and see how it feels.

100 mm tecton 13s fit my 118 mm wide skis perfectly.

As for a quick first thoughts, they are dead easy to use for touring, clamp the toes, switch to ski mode, and ski great. Definitely will be treating them gently.


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I've been happily skiing tecton's with my Atomic Hawx XTD boots but want to try skiing them with my La Sportiva Skorpius 2's. La Spo says the heel shelf isn't big enough for tectons and Fristchi doesn't list the Skorpius as compatible, so I'm considering tecton toes and TR2 heels, as I've got a line on buying some cheep heels.
Has anyone run this setup? Thoughts?